Taihape Shears offers woolhandling opportunities

The 2016 Taihape open woolhandling final. Keryn Herbert (left) was unable to win the event for a sixth time in a row but regained the title last year. Photo / SSNZ

Woolhandling will take on extra importance at the Taihape A and P Show on Saturday, due to a shortage of opportunities in a season hit by the uncertainty of Covid-19.

The competition, which is part of the show's shearing sports, marks the annual start of the woohandlers' road to the Golden Shears.

It will be only the fourth woolhandling competition in the North Island this summer.

The Wairarapa and Manawatu shows were both cancelled, and the Rotorua A and P Show's shearing sports, which would have been held this Sunday have also been cancelled.

The following weekend there will be a triple header with woolhandling featuring at the Dannevirke A and P Show on February 5, the Aria Sports on Waitangi Day and the Rangitikei Shearing Sports in Marton on February 7.

The junior and novice woolhandling will be a part of the new Manawatu Knitting Mills (MKM) mini circuit over the three days.

The woolhandling this Saturday at Taihape will take place in Junior, Senior and Open grades, starting from 8.30am, with shearing in Novice, Junior, Intermediate, Senior and Open grades.

As an A-grade show that attracts top competitors from all over the country, the Taihape open woolhanding final, (the first of the season on second shear sheep), has a unique recent history.

For a start, it hasn't been won by the country's most-dominant woolhandler Joel Henare, of Gisborne, since 2010.

Last year, Te Kuiti's Keryn Herbert was the fifth different winner in five years since she put together five wins in succession in 2011-2015. A whopping 13 different competitors have reached the five-place final in the last three years.

The Open shearing final has been won by Hawke's Bay shearer Rowland Smith seven times in the last eight years, but has had its occasional surprises among the qualifiers, with 11 shearers among the 18 final placings in the last three years.

The shears on Saturday will be followed by a speed shear at the Utiku rugby club.

Winners at the Taihape Shears over the last 14 years:

Woolhandling:

Open: 2007 Joanne Kumeroa (Whanganui); 2008 Sheryl-Lee Cribb (Feilding); 2009 Joel Henare (Gisborne); 2010 Joel Henare (Gisborne); 2011 Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu); 2012 Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu); 2013 Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu); 2014 Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu); 2015 Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu); 2016 Kim Sowry (Eketahuna); 2017 Monica Potae (Milton/Kennedy Bay); 2018 Logan Kamura (Marton); 2019 Sheree Alabaster (Taihape); 2020 Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti).

Senior: 2007 Talia Holm (Dannevirke); 2008 Sunnie Hughes (Dannevirke) 2009 Kiri Gerretzen (Ashhurst); 2010 Ngaio Braddick (Gisborne); 2011 Sharni Graham 2012 Cushla Abraham (Masterton); 2013 Logan Kamura (Marton); 2014 Carmen Smith (Pongaroa); 2015 Ana Braddick (Eketahuna); 2016 Rahna Williams (Flaxmere); 2017 Jimmy Samuels (Marton); 2018 Ricci Stevens (Napier); 2019 Ngaira Puha (Kimbolton); 2020 Danae Sciascia (Taihape)

Junior: 2007 Kowhai Martin (Masterton); 2008 Amy Topling (Taihape); 2009 Catherine Christey (Te Awamutu); 2010 Cushla Gordon (Masterton); 2011 Connor Puha (Kimbolton); 2012 Rachel Goss (Kimbolton); 2013 David Gordon (Masterton); 2014 Jimmy Samuels (Marton); 2015 Raniera Whare (Taumarunui); 2016 Angela Kirkpatrick (Napier); 2017 Samantha Pritchard (Pongaroa); 2018 Ngaira Puha (Kimbolton); 2019 Cortez Ostler (Dannevirke); 2020 Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui).

Shearing:

Open: 2007 Paul Avery (Toko); 2008 Paul Avery (Toko); 2009 Paul Avery (Toko); 2010 Cam Ferguson (Waipawa); 2011 John Kirkpatrick (Napier); 2012 Rowland Smith (Hastings); 2013 Rowland Smith (Hastings); 2014 Rowland Smith (Hastings); 2015 Gavin Mutch (Scotland /Whangamomona); 2016 Rowland Smith (Hastings); 2017 Rowland Smith (Hastings); 2018 Rowland Smith (Hastings); 2019 Rowland Smith (Hastings); 2020 Rowland Smith (Hastings).

Senior: 2007 Angus Moore (Ward); 2008 Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka); 2009 Aaron Haynes (Feilding); 2010 Joseph Maher (Taihape); 2011 Matene Mason (Masterton); 2012 Jack Robinson (Northern Ireland); 2013 Lachie Baynes (Wairoa); 2014 Casey Bailey (Riverton/Masterton); 2015 Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton); 2016 Jacob Moore (Marton); 2017 Aaron Bell (Waipawa); 2018 Paraki Puna (Napier); 2019 Connor Puha (Kimbolton); 2020 Simon Goss (Kimbolton/Mangamahu).

Intermediate: 2007 Matthew Evans (Wales); 2008 Ian Kirkpatrick jnr (Gisborne); (2009 Joseph Maher (Taihape); 2010 Wi Poutu Ngarangione (Gisborne); 2011 Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti); 2012 Bryce Guy (Kaeo); 2013 David Gordon; 2014 Bevan Pere (Gisborne); 2015 Larry Fleming (Gisborne); 2016 Ricci Stevens (Napier); 2017 Anaru Wakefield (Porangahau); 2018 Jeremy Leygonie (France); 2019 Paora Moanaroa (Eketahnua); 2020 Liam Pritchard (Pongaroa).

Junior: 2007 Mohi Gray (Waipukurau); 2008 Tipene Te Whata (Tautoro); 2009 Wi Poutu Ngarangione (Gisborne); 2010 Steve Rowberry (England); 2011 Bryce Guy (Kaeo); 2012 Stuart Davidson (Scotland); 2013 Ramone Smith (Gisborne); 2014 Dion Edwards (Wales); 2015 James McKenzie (Wales); 2016 Jordan Hart (Blenheim); 2017 Darren Bryant (Levin); 2018 Reuben Alabaster (Taihape); 2019 Emlyn Jones (Wales); 2020 Adam Gordon (Masterton).